Arbitration

Standard clauses

Ordinary arbitration procedure

1. Arbitration clause to be inserted in a contract

"Any dispute arising from or related to the present contract will be submitted exclusively to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, and resolved definitively in accordance with the Code of sports-related arbitration."

Optional explanatory phrases

"The Panel will consist of one [or three] arbitrator(s)."

"The language of the arbitration will be..."

2. Arbitration agreement concluded after the dispute has arisen

[Brief description of the dispute]

The dispute will be submitted exclusively to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, and settled definitively in accordance with the Code of sports-related arbitration.

Alternative 1

The Panel set in operation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport will consist of a sole arbitrator designated by the President of the CAS Division concerned.

Alternative 2The Panel set in operation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport will consist of three arbitrators. Each party designates the following arbitrator :

Claimant: Mr/Mrs ... [insert the name of a person included on the list of CAS arbitrators (see Annex I)];

Defendant: Mr/Mrs ... [insert the name of a person included on the list of CAS arbitrators (see Annex I)];

These two arbitrators will designate the President of the Panel within 30 days following the signature of this agreement. If no agreement is reached within this time limit, the President of the Division concerned will designate the President of the Panel.

Appeals arbitration procedure

1. Arbitration clause to be inserted within the statutes of a sports federation, association or other sports body

"Any decision made by ... [insert the name of the disciplinary tribunal or similar court of the sports federation, association or sports body which constitutes the highest internal tribunal] may be submitted exclusively by way of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, which will resolve the dispute definitively in accordance with the Code of sports-related arbitration. The time limit for appeal is twenty-one days after the reception of the decision concerning the appeal."

2. Acceptance of the arbitration clause by athletes

It is important that athletes expressly accept in writing this clause of the statutes. They may do so either by means of a general written declaration applicable to all future disputes between them and the sports federation, association or other sports body (see section a below), or by a written declaration limited to a specific sports event (see section b below).

Standard general declaration"I the undersigned ... accept the statutes of ...[name of the federation], in particular the provision which foresees the exclusive competence of the Court of Arbitration for Sport."

Declaration limited to an event"Within the framework of my participation in ... [name of the event], I the undersigned ... accept that any decision made by the highest internal tribunal in relation to this event may be the object of appeal arbitration proceedings pursuant to the Code of sports-related arbitration of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. I accept the competence of the CAS, excluding all recourse to ordinary courts."

Note: The validity of the clause excluding recourse to ordinary courts is not recognized by all national legal systems.

Federations and organizers are recommended to check the validity of this clause within their own legal system.